Movies

This summer's long-overdue X-Man solo outing, The Wolverine has released a new photo of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine squinting at someone...hard.

Yeah, so it isn't exactly "stop the presses" kind of material, but given the ultra-secretive, piecemeal way that revelations about this film have been rolled-out, it's equivalent to your waiter bringing out a lowly, but welcome piece of bread to the table as your stomach growls in hunger, desperately waiting for, in the very least, your appetizer. For the purposes of that metaphor, the "appetizer" in question is the film's trailer, which, much like the film itself over the years, keeps getting delayed.

So, is there anything we can glean from this new photo? Clearly, some people in this Japanese joint have rubbed Logan the wrong way. Rather than utilizing his usual method of breaking out his trusty adamantium claws to eviscerate the bastards before lighting up a big fat stogy, he's killing the bad guys with the overwhelming power of righteous indignation. (Which, for all we know, may be a supplemental mutant power he possess.) Watch out, Silver Samurai, that shiny armor won't protect you from the all-powerful Stink Eye of Doom.

The Wolverine stares disapprovingly at evil in the Land of the Rising Sun at theaters on July 26.

Could Mark Hamill be ready to once again pick up his lightsaber for the upcoming Star Wars Sequel Trilogy? Well, in a recent interview with ET, Hamill seems to confirm that the prospects of him reprising Luke Skywalker are quite likely.

While the 2015 release of the yet-to-be-titled Star Wars: Episode VII has opened the floodgates of rumors, one narrative which carries a distinct ring of truth seems to surround the impending return of the Original Trilogy cast, reuniting fans with older versions of the characters set several years after the fall of the Galactic Empire in Return of the Jedi. This is especially so with the recent, yet-to-be-confirmed report of Harrison Ford being secretly locked-in and official for a return as Han Solo. Yet, the prospective return of Hamill as the character that is essentially the main protagonist of the entire mythos seems even more of an inevitability. Thus, Hamill does not seem to play coy when it comes to that possibility, as he candidly reveals that he is indeed in talks with the new Disney-sized Lucasfilm coalition.

"They're talking to us," he reveals. "George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts – they would write us out. … I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts. We're in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm. Both have had meetings set that were postponed -- on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am."

While those talks don't seem to be taking place with a sense of urgency, it could very well be the case that the big brass are waiting for director, J.J. Abrams to finish things up with his current baby, Star Trek Into Darkness. Once the film hits on May 17 and Abrams has fulfilled all the ensuing creative and promotional obligations, the living envy of the sci-fi world will be able to turn his full attention to casting details and the shoot itself.

However, Hamill would be walking into this project with an ideal about where Luke Skywalker is in his life and how the film should come across.

The upcoming sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes now has its star. Actor, Jason Clarke has been cast to play the primary character in this "monkey apocalypse" follow-up.

Clarke, a working actor in the business since the mid-90's, has recently began to make quite a splash with roles in Zero Dark Thirty, Lawless, and in Baz Luhrmann's rendition of The Great Gatsby, which is set to hit this May. He now takes top billing in this follow-up to the 2011 franchise revival prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes alongside a digitally-rendered Andy Serkis, who will reprise his role as leader of the Ape revolt, Caesar.

While not much is known about the film's plot at this stage, it has been revealed that it will be set 15 years after the initial liberation of the drug-modified primates at a point where the world is overrun with their kind. The film will center around a group of human scientist survivors (presumably led by Clarke's character,) set up in San Francisco, which, in the last film, was ground zero for the Ape invasion. It will also focus on the continuing saga of Caesar and the political drama he must face amongst his bitter, banana-biting brethren over control of the Ape army.

In the build-up to 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, pre-release reactions were somewhat tepid and incredulous, dismissing it as yet another contrived Hollywood reboot effort. However, it managed to strike a chord and the film would become a hit, grossing over $481 million worldwide. This was likely due to its impressive visuals and surprisingly-accessible pathos, rather than the presence of its star, James Franco; an idea that may come as a relief for this Franco-less sequel. It will also see Cloverfield director, Matt Reeves replace Rupert Wyatt at the helm.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes beats its chest at theaters on May 23, 2014.

A newly released trailer celebrates the fact that season two of the very strong Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series from filmmaker Kevin Tancharoen is almost here. Season one of Legacy launched in April 2011 and ran for nine episodes, covering stories for a variety of characters in the MK universe.

It's looking like season two will stick to a similarly far-ranging format, with the trailer running through a sizable roster of cast members pulled from the popular fighting game. There's no word on when season two will begin -- the trailer ends with the text "Koming soon" -- though we'll surely be hearing more soon as the launch draws closer.

The upcoming long-awaited follow-up, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For has now given us a first look at its primary star, Josh Brolin in character as aspiring-photog/hired-muscle, Dwight McCarthy.

Co-director, Robert Rodriguez tweeted a set a photos over the weekend, one of which (seen above) is set in the film's proper black & white color scheme, depicting Brolin as Dwight doing a bit of night driving in the rain. (A setting that may very well be the quintessence of Sin City.) According to Rodriguez, the image is not actually a shot from the final film, but rather, is just a set photo that he personally touched-up which he is using to help set the tone of the film for the actors. Nevertheless, by releasing the image, it is a virtual confirmation that this is how Brolin will look in the film.

The image strikes a dramatic contrast to the version of the Dwight character we got in the first Sin City film played by Clive Owen in 2005. (And, thanks to an infamous plastic surgery sequence, may be reprised by Owen later in the film.) Brolin's Dwight is sporting more of a wrinkled brow mean mug, almost akin to a Dick Tracy villain. While this is one tough guy who can easily handle Sin City's meanest, he will come across the most formidable challenge of his life: Resisting libidinous urges towards his manipulative, wicked ex, Ava Lord (Eva Green). Unfortunately, this poor sap is in for a lot trouble.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For hits theaters on October 4. In the meantime, check out the green-screen set photo of Brolin with Robert Rodriguez below.

The latest in a series of new character posters for Iron Man 3 has hit. Exclusive to Empire, this one showcases actor, Guy Pearce as geneticist, Aldrich Killian.

Despite the fact that he looks more like a spray-tanned self-help guru, this film version of the Killian character will play a critical part in the film's plot. Along with his colleague, Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), Killian creates "Extremis," a technological virus that (in the comics, anyway,) re-writes the genetic code of a potential living subject, endowing enhanced physical abilities and rapid healing. Of course, when it comes to all powerful new toys with the potential to improve the lot of humanity, there always has to be some bitter, belligerent bad guy out there that wants to take nice things and turn it into a weapon of some kind. Indeed, that is what will happen when the sinister Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) arrives on the scene.

For Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, the course of events will bring his life into a literal upheaval. (You did see what happened to his crib and his armor collection in the trailers, right?) However, while The Mandarin and his nano-powered cronies may have Iron Man in their crosshairs, Killian's potentially-deadly breakthrough could also end up being the beginning of some serious upgrades to Tony's tech in ways even his brilliant mind didn't imagine possible.

Iron Man 3 crashes into theaters on May 3. Check out the full Aldrich Killian poster below and speculate on whether he whitens his teeth.

It seems that the mystery of what character confirmed cast member, Peter Dinklage will be playing in the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past may be solved. A report from MTV Geek! claims that the fan fave Game of Thrones star will fill the role of scientist, Bolivar Trask.

This, of course, is contrary to the initial fan-fueled rumors which assumed that his short-stature status sized him for the role of Canadian crusher, Puck. However, an ensuing report from Variety, citing unnamed sources claimed that Dinklage would play the film's "main antagonist." Now, this latest development points to Dinklage playing Trask, the character known from the pages of Marvel Comics as inventor of the giant robot bane of all things mutant, The Sentinels. (Who are definitely a part of this film.) Interestingly enough, Trask was last portrayed by repertory Schwarzenegger film player, Bill Duke in X-Men: The Last Stand. (Consistency, thy name is Fox.)

Trask created the assassin automatons out of fear from the destruction caused by mutantkind, exemplified by the actions of Magneto and his crew. However, the issue hit him close to home, since his two children, Larry and Tanya were also mutants. In the case of Tanya, her powers allow her to travel through time; a power that she uses against her father's anti-mutant cause. (An intriguing thought, considering that this will be a film involving time travel, right?) Yet, at the end of the day, multiple renditions of the Bolivar Trask character in the various comic book and animated storylines ultimately show him to be a character that was well-intentioned and not beyond redemption. Indeed, his own robot creations, led by his progenitive prototype, Master Mold, turn on him, quickly making this "antagonist" into a somewhat sympathetic figure.

At the moment, nothing has been confirmed regarding the identity of Dinklage's role and for all we know, rumors of him playing another character may surface. When it comes to Fox's jumbled canonical mess with the X-Men films, anything is possible.

Could the kickoff entry to the upcoming Star Wars sequel trilogy, Episode VII see the return of a certain scruffy-looking nerfherder? Well, according to a scoop by Latino Review, that's what the new film just locked-down for itself. Yes, the one and only Harrison Ford is reportedly part of a done deal to reprise his role of the suave, yet seedy smuggler-turned-stalwart of the Rebellion, Han Solo!

If this news proves true, then it would verify recent comments by Ford which seemed to imply that he, along with his Original Trilogy co-stars, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill were open to the idea of returning to THE franchise of sci-fi after a 30+ year break. Although, when it came to Ford, there was a bit of a wild card, since in the past, he has been notoriously dismissive towards his legacy as the smooth pirate of space. In fact, it's been well-documented that he considered the Han Solo role merely as a career stepping-stone, and by the end of the Original Trilogy with 1983's Return of the Jedi, even insisted that Han be killed-off and martyred for a dramatic punch. -- A request that George Lucas did not ultimately oblige.

Fast-forward to 2013 and it seems that Ford, like Han, may have started to wonder what good's a reward if he ain't around to use it. In this case, the "reward" is being forever associated with one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema. (At least one that hasn't used major household appliances for fallout shelters.) Perhaps, the actor has finally come to terms with his character's place in history, looking for a more fitting swan song. (Which could also be accompanied by a spinoff film focusing on Solo's early years.) Of course, Han will be a lot older and, if the critical elements of the Expanded Universe of Star Wars novels and comic books hold true, he and Princess Leia will be parents to a set of Force-sensitive twins who could be central characters in the new films.

Regardless, unless serious concrete proof of this casting emerge, this is something that the franchise's new gatekeepers at Disney will likely sit on for quite a while. Until then, fans will keep riding on the rumor-iffic road to the 2015 release of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Next year's prequel-sequel film, X-Men: Days of Future Past may already be an embarrassment of riches in cast members, but now, it lands another feather in its cap: A Lannister! Director, Bryan Singer has revealed via tweet that actor, Peter Dinklage has officially joined the cast.

Best known for his Golden Globe and Emmy-winning role as the diminutive, yet dangerous Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, Dinklage now joins a cast consisting of Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence and just about ANY top name actor who has been associated with the X-Men film franchise in the past. (Except maybe Halle Berry for some reason.) At the moment, his exact role in the time-bending mutant mega-movie has yet to be confirmed.

However, putting two and two together, fan speculation is already pointing to Dinklage playing Puck,the short-statured slayer of the Marvel Comics Universe. In the comics, Puck was not a mutant, or a real dwarf, for that matter. He was a former mercenary and mountain of a man named Eugene Judd, who, in his quest for power, would turn to a magical artifact that gave him enhanced strength, speed, durability, agility, and lifespan. -- All of which came with the "huge" downside of turning the formerly-full-sized fighter into a dwarf. Puck would become a key member of superhero-team, Alpha Flight, who were essentially Marvel's attempt to recreate the magic of The Avengers for a team based in Canada. The Super-Canucks also hold the distinction of being historically tied to the early crime-fighting career of fellow countryman, Wolverine.

IF, indeed, Dinklage plays Puck, then his character would likely be retconned as a mutant. (Although, ties to Wolverine might still manifest.) However, it's too soon to tell. Despite the speculation that this casting will erupt, it could end up being for a more innocuous role.

X-Men: Days of Future Past may be looking to show that there are other badass Canadians besides Wolverine at theaters on July 18, 2014.

*UPDATE: According to Variety's sources, Dinklage is allegedly playing a role identified as the film's "main antagonist." This intel, however, is far from confirmed.

Iron Man 3 has released a brand new character poster highlighting Don Cheadle as Tony Stark's buddy, Colonel James Rhodes all decked-out in his new Iron Patriot armor.

Indeed, the former "War Machine" has new digs that are powerful enough to make anyone say "America, f**k yeah!" It's a good thing, too, because Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) will need all the help he can possibly get this time around when he faces an array of vile villains, headlined by a mastermind in his signature comic book nemesis, The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

Adopted from the pages of Marvel Comics' post-Civil War era, the Iron Patriot suit was worn by Norman Osborn, the former original villainous Green Goblin who resurfaced, attempting to reinvent himself as a hero, eventually becoming director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Of course, when it comes to the big screen, Osborn only exists in Sony Pictures' Spider-Man Universe, which has led to the contextual alteration of having James Rhodes suit up in the red, white, and blue badassery.

Not much is known specifically about what role he will play in this action-packed launch of Marvel Studios' "Phase Two" set of films, but it will surely involve A LOT of insanely-explosive ammunition being unleashed on some hapless baddies.

Iron Man 3 crashes into theaters on May 3. Check out the full poster below to see James Rhodes in the armor that's so patriotic, it smells like apple pie and spawns bald eagles.

A new trailer has landed for the upcoming sci-fi standout, Oblivion which highlights a vastly ruined Earth of the future...and also Tom Cruise fixing robots.

While this new trailer does not deviate too far from the teaser that hit back in December, it manages to prominently display a gorgeously-ruined version of a future Earth ravaged by war and left to rot. Several examples of iconic imagery are immersed in post-apocalyptic form while managing to capture a kind of sublime beauty as nature has essentially taken it all back. Yet, at the same time, it contrasts with a high-altitude haven of a luxurious and clean future in which Cruise's character lives. It really drives home the full scope of the kind of retro-70's visually bright, almost clinical style of sci-fi that director, Joseph Kosinski is attempting bring back with this project.

Originally Kosinski's brainchild, it would first take the form of a graphic novel of the same name with a would-be film project ruminating in his mind for over five years. However, after landing a career-making gig of helming the 2010 franchise revival, Tron: Legacy, his newly-upgraded status would land him the one and only Tom Cruise for this long-in-the-making pet project. Kosinski takes the director's chair and has collaborated on the script with Karl Gajdusek and scribe of the upcoming Star Wars:Episode VII, Michael Arndt.

The film is set to hit theaters on April 19. Check out the new trailer below to see a ruined, yet lush Earth of the future which forces Tom Cruise to finally put in an honest day's work.

Recent reports pointing to serious troubles hitting Warner's plans for a Justice League mega-movie seem to have primed the rumor mill pumps. In this case, fan site, Batman On Film is claiming that a possible delay for the beleaguered superhero team-up could lead to a reboot of the Batman movie franchise hitting beforehand.

Of course, this theory should be treated as rumor-iffic as speculative rumors such as this one gets. According to BOF, an unnamed source of theirs close to the behind-the-scenes dealings strongly believes that the alleged troubles with the Justice League script by Will Beall and its apparent scrapping have sent shockwaves of doubt throughout Warner's superhero movie circle. According to the report, the current state of Justice League, which was supposed to introduce a new incarnation of the Caped Crusader to join the team, has worried the brass so much that they fear it may damage the Batman film brand. However, BOF's source attempts to quell what may be fear amongst the fans:

“Don’t worry about the Batman [film] franchise,” he said, “it’s [Warner Bros.’] most valuable [DC Comics-based] asset.” He continued, “I believe that they are now looking at introducing [the rebooted] Batman in a solo film, though that will likely take place later than they initially had planned. They are extremely worried how a [the Batman film franchise] would be affect[ed] if JUSTCE LEAGUE [sic] bombs...and rightfully so."

What could this mean for superhero plans by Warner that fans believed to be sprawling and ambitious?

Upcoming sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness has released a set of new photos exclusive to Entertainment Weekly's current cover story on the film.

While the film's release is quickly approaching in just a few short months on May 17, very little is still known about the specifics of the plot and whether or not there is more to the film's new villain, John Harrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. (Shown in one of the new photos in "Red Shirt" custody.) However, what is known at this point is that he is a former Starfleet officer who, after some horrific event, has taken up a cause; something he is willing to destroy Earth to achieve. Yet, if you were to listen to Cumberbatch in interviews, while still necessarily evasive on details, the actor does seem to imply that his character will ultimately prove to be a tragic figure. *Check below for a major breaking update on this subject!

With the entire crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise from 2009's Star Trek returning for this sophomore space epic, we will see the continued development of the relationships between this rebooted rank of recruits in more layman-friendly accessible drama, mixed with balls-to-walls apocalyptic action that this new J.J. Abrams-injected Star Trek franchise will be expected to bring.

Michael Keaton will lend his considerable talents to DreamWorks' upcoming Need for Speed movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor joins stars Aaron Paul and Dominic Cooper in the Scott Waugh-directed adaptation of the Electronic Arts-published racing series.

Keaton will (awesomely) play "the reclusive and eccentric host of an underground supercar race where he invites the best drivers from around the world." Keaton does eccentric really well. It should be fun to see him mixing it up with the two stars.

Keaton's been busy lately. In addition to his delightful turn as a Salt-n-Pepa-loving cop in The Other Guys, he also recently finished up filming for a role in the upcoming RoboCop reboot.

After Disney confirmed that those rumors about Star Wars spinoff movies were anything but Bantha poodoo, Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that two of these films will focus on the seedy dealings of the callous, cloned bounty hunter, Boba Fett and the youthful exploits of the handsome smuggler, gambler, and Kessel Run conqueror, Han Solo.

In what is sounding like an old-school Star Wars fan's wet dream come to life, these new films will flesh out what will apparently be pivotal events in the lives of these proverbial faves, also providing us a method to possibly see some other old friends return to the big screen.

The Han Solo film will reportedly take place in between the chronological events of Prequel Trilogy finale, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and the first film of the Original Trilogy, Episode IV: A New Hope. Looking to cast a younger Harrison Ford-esque actor, we will likely see the events that shape the course of Han's life, taking him from a love-struck washout cadet at the Imperial Academy, to an "always shoot first" smuggler, free-riding across the galaxy, accompanied by a Wookie companion named Chewbacca whose life he saved.